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(No Model.) A 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. J... MALONE. SNOW SORAPER FOR RAILROAD TRACKS.

No. 419,532. Patented Jan. 14,1890.

RILEY (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. J. MALONE. SNOW SGRAPER FOR RAILROAD TRACKS.

No. 419,532. Patented Jan. 14,1890.'

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\- ('No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet a. 0. J. MALONE.

SNOW SORAPER FOR RAILROAD TRAGKS. No. 419,532. Patented Jan. 14, 1890.

U/aulea JTJIlaZOWe UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. MALONE, OF BALACITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANDREW O. CHRISTENSON, OF SAME PLACE.

SNOW-SCRAPER FOR RAILROAD-TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,532, dated January 14, 1890.

Application filed March 28,1889. Serial No. 305,129. (No model.)

To all whom it. may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. MALONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bala City, in the county of Riley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful I mprovement in Snow-Scrapers for Clearing Snow-- Drifts from Railroad-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in snow-scrapers for clearing snow-drifts from railroad-track's; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a snow-scraper embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4. is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail view.

A represents a platform-car of suitable construction, and on which is mounted a verticalderrick-frame B. The same is braced on its front side by means of inclined brace-bars O O. Journaled in the lower end of the derrick-frame is a shaft E, to which is rigidly secured a spur-wheel F, the same being provided on its inner side with a clutch member G. The outer end of the said shaft is squared, as at H, and thereby adapted to be engaged and rotated by a crank, and loosely mounted on the said shaft and adapted to move longitudinally thereon i.S. vEhdruml, which has a ratchetewheel K at its outer end, and is provided at its inner end with radial arms" L. The said inner end of the drum is further provided with notches M, adapted to be engaged by the teeth or offsets of the clutch section G.

N represents a brake-lever, which is pivoted to one of the bearings at thelower end of the derrick-frame, and is adapted to bear on the drum. ,The free end of the said brake-lever operates in a guide 0.

P represents a lever, which is fulcrumed on a vertical pin in the said bearings, and has its inner end bifurcated and engaging an annular groove R, formed in one end of the drum, the function of the said lever being to move the drum into or out of engagement with the clutch, and thereby adapt the same to be locked to and caused to rotate with the shaft E or to remain stationary on the said shaft while thelatter is in motion.

' The second axle of the car is provided with a gear-Wheel S,which is keyed thereto, and

said gear-wheel engages an idle-wheel T, which is mounted on a bearing secured on the car, and the said wheel T engages the wheel F.

U represents a detent, which is'pivoted on the car, and is adapted to engage the ratchetteeth K, to prevent retrograde rotation of the drum. The said detent has its free end operating in a guide V, and the latter is provided with, an opening WV, in which a pin X may be inserted and caused to bear under the detent for the purpose of retaining the latter out of engagement with the ratchetteeth;

Y represents a bolster, which is centrally pivoted by means of a king-boltZon the front end of the car. 7

A represents a swinging frame, which comprises a pair of triangular sides B, connected at their outer ends by aframe O. The latter has its inner side covered with sheathing D. Each of the sides B comprises a pair of diverging beams 'E and sheathing-boards F, which are secured on the outer side of. said beams. I I

On the upper side of the frame 0 is hinged a gate G, which is adapted to open upward, and may be maintained in avertical position against rearward pressure by means of knees H, secured on the upper side of the frame 0. In the lower side of the said frame is jour naled a roller I, the same being provided with annular metallic sleeves K, by means of which it is strengthened. At the lower side of the frame 0', and arranged on the inner side of the roller I, is an inclined scraper L, which is of the form shown, and maybe either entirely composed of iron or may be made of wood and sheathed with plate-steel.

M represents a Windlass, which is erected in a vertical position near the rear end of the car. Hinged to opposite sides of the car and adapted to move in vertical planes are arms N, the free upper ends of which are connected to the brace bars 0 by means of ropes or chains 0.

P represents guiding-ropes, which are attached to the upper corners of the frames 0, are passed over guiding-sheaves in the outer end of the arms N,and have their inner ends attached to the Windlass M and coiled thereon in opposite directions. Inasmuch as the bolster Y, to which the scraper-frame is pivotally attached, is pivoted 011 the car, it follows that by rotating the Windlass one of the guiding-ropes will be coiled thereon and the other simultaneously uncoiled, and hence the scraper-frame may be swung laterally from the car and the same thereby adapted to conform to a curved track when the apparatus is employed on such a track. The function of the arms N is to keep the guiding-ropes clear of the derrick-frame.

R represents a pair of elevating ropes, which are also attached to the upper corners of the scraper -frame, pass over guidingsheaves supported at the upper end of the derrick-frame, and have their lower ends attached to the drum and adapted to be coiled thereon, so that when the drum is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 the scraper-frame, and hence necessarily the scraper, will be elevated. 1

On the front end of the car is a snowplow T, of suitable construction.

The operation of my invention is as fol-j lows: The car is to be moved on a track bya locomotive coupled to the rear end thereof. \Vhen a cut filled with drifted snow is encountered, the car is first backed by reversing the locomotive, and the drum is thrown into gear with the wheel F, and the latter being in constant rotation when the car is in 1110- tion by reason of the gear-wheels which connect it to the front car-axle, the drum is caused to rotate therewith and to wind up the elevating-rope until the scraper is hoisted the required height, or at a height somewhat say a foot or more-below the level of the snow-bank. The detent prevents retrograde rotation of the drum, as before stated, and? the instant the scraper is hoisted to the required point an attendant operates the lever P and throws the drum out of engagement with the wheel F. The locomotive is then stopped and is again driven forward, which causes the scraper to slide over the snow-bank until the latter is in contact or nearly in contact with the front end of the car. The car and locomotive are then stopped and immediately thereafter backed, which causes the scraper to descend in the upper side of the snow-drift and to scrape or scoop off the top of the drift, as will be readily understood, the snow accumulating and becoming packed between the arms B and the sheathing of the frame 0, and being prevented. from sliding over the top of said frame by the hinged gate thereon. \Vhen the car has been backed a sufficient distance to be clear of the drift, the

snow collected by the scraper drops upon the track and when the car is again urged forward, the plow at the front end thereof throws the snow dropped by the scraper f from .the track. By continuing the before-described operation of the apparatus the same will, by dint of tentative effort, effectually remove the drift. I calculate that drifts which now obstruct and delay the passage of railroadtrains, sometimes for several weeks, may be removed by a train equipped with my improved apparatus in the course of a few hours.

I propose to provide the car with laterallyprojecting platforms 0., to enable workmen to move about from end to end of the car without having to crawl under the drum, and I also propose to house or inclose the front end of the car by nailing boards onto and across the brace-beam C and D. The said housing-will, of course, be provided in front with windows through which the operation of the apparatus may be inspected, and in the sides with doors to admit of the entrance of the workmen from the platforms a.

The roller at the lower side of the scraperframe supports the latter when in transit above the track.

When lowering the scraper, the detent must be disengaged from the ratchet on the drum in the manner before described, and the friction brake-lever N must be applied to the drum to regulate the speed and check too rapid descent of the scraper.

I propose to provide the car with a suitable brake, whereby it may be stopped when necessary. I also provide the car with sandboxes for sprinkling sand on the tracks, to prevent the wheels from slipping.-

If necessary, the car may be ballasted by piling rocks or other heavy material on the platform or on side boards extended outward therefrom. The derrick may be pivotally jointed, so that it may be folded back to enable the car to pass under bridges and tunnels.

In short, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of devices hercinbefore described, as it is obvious that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my in vention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a snow-scraper, a truck, in combination with a bolster arranged thereon, a vertical pivot connecting the bolster with the truck, a scraping-frame hinged to the bolster, and means for raising andlowerin g the frame and swinging the frame and bolster.

2. The combination, with the car, of the bolster pivoted on the front end thereof, the scraper having side arms pivoted to said bolster, and means for raising and lowering the scraper and for laterally swinging the same substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the car, of the vertical and laterally-movable scraper so cured to abolster on the front end thereof, the roller at the lower side of the scraper, for the purpose set forth, and devices to raise and lower the scraper, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the car, pivoted scraper at the front end thereof, the derrickframe rising from the car, the wheel'F, geared to and rotated by one of the car-axles, the drum, the clutch devices and lever to engage the drum With the wheel F and to disengage it therefrom, and the elevating-rope attached to the scraper, guided by the derrick-frame and attached to the drum, whereby the scraper may be automatically raised when the car is in motion, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the car, the scraper pivoted thereto and adapted tobe swung laterally, the Windlass mounted on the car, and a cable passed in opposite directions around the Windlass and having its terminals connected at opposite sides of the scraper-frame,

whereby the latter may be swung in either direction by said Windlass, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

6. The car having the scraper projecting from its front end and the gate at the upper side of the scraper, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the car, the hinged arms on the sides thereof, the scraper on the front end of the car, adapted to be swung laterally, the guiding-ropes attached to the said scraper, guided by the arms, and means, substantially as set forth, to operate the said ropes, substantially as described.

8. The car having the derrick-frame, the

shaft E, gears connecting said shaft to one of the car-axles, the drum loose on the shaft, the clutch to engage it therewith, the detent engaging the ratchet-wheel on the drum, the pivoted scraper on the front end of the car, and the elevating ropes attached to said scraper, guided by the derrick and connected to the drum, substantially as described.

9. In a snow-scraper, the frame G, in combination with the roller I, journaled transversely in the lower end thereof and having around the Windlass and over the sheaves and having its terminals connected at opposite sides of the scraper, substantially as specified. v

In-testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. MALONE. Witnesses:

R. G. WILLIAMS, J. H. JENKINS. 

